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Researchers design more effective version of FDA-approved epilepsy drug with fewer side effects

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Arts & Sciences have designed a more effective version of an FDA-approved epilepsy drug with the potential for fewer side effects, according to a study published on March 22 in Molecular Pharmacology. The experimental agent also could prove to be a treatment for tinnitus and other disorders caused by volatile neural signaling.

31 Mar 2016

UC Berkeley biologists discover potential target for unisex contraceptives

UC Berkeley biologists have discovered the switch that triggers the power kick sperm use to penetrate and fertilize a human egg, uncovering a possible source of male infertility but also a potential target for contraceptives that work in both men and women.

26 Mar 2016

CRPS rank higher on pain scales than childbirth, cancer, amputation

Imagine pain in an arm or leg so intense that the sufferer would rather undergo an amputation than put up with it any longer. For those with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), this is not just a hypothetical nightmare—it is reality.

25 Mar 2016

Neurons in hypothalamus help maintain blood glucose levels, study finds

To learn what different cells do, scientists switch them on and off and observe what the effects are. There are many methods that do this, but they all have problems: too invasive, or too slow, or not precise enough. Now, a new method to control the activity of neurons in mice, devised by scientists at Rockefeller University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, avoids these downfalls by using magnetic forces to remotely control the flow of ions into specifically targeted cells.

24 Mar 2016

MALDI tissue imaging spots early renal lipid changes in acute kidney injury

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have made a microscopic snapshot of the early renal lipid changes in acute kidney injury, using the laser-scanning method called MALDI tissue imaging to localize the changes.

24 Mar 2016

Sodium MRI could provide more detailed picture of tissue health and disease

MRI experts at The University of Nottingham win £1m grant to adapt scanning techniques to pick up sodium in the body. The research could lead to much more detailed MRI scans in the future with significant improvements to the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases.

18 Mar 2016

Johns Hopkins scientists develop antibody to curb lung tumor cell growth, breast cancer metastasis

Johns Hopkins scientists report they have developed an antibody against a specific cellular gateway that suppresses lung tumor cell growth and breast cancer metastasis in transplanted tumor experiments in mice, according to a new study published in the February issue of Nature Communications.

17 Mar 2016

Study could lead to potential new therapeutic target with fewer side effects for hypertension

A team of Vermont investigators has been issued a patent for their discovery of a molecule that rescues damaged blood vessels, yet preserves healthy vessels and could serve as a springboard for a new pharmaceutical therapy with fewer side effects for hypertension - a major risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney disease that effects roughly one in three people in the U.S.

15 Mar 2016

Researchers identify new mutation responsible for spinocerebellar ataxia

Using the genetic information of two different families with three generations of disease, researchers have identified a new mutation responsible for a degenerative and ultimately fatal movement disorder. Through induced pluripotent stem cell techniques, researchers also grew neurons from one patient in the laboratory to be used in future experiments.

15 Mar 2016

New chemical probe could tag cells for detection by MRI

The need to non-invasively "see" and track cells in living persons is indisputable - a boon to both research and development of future therapies. Emerging treatments using stem cells and immune cells are poised to most benefit from cell tracking, which would visualize their behavior in the body after delivery. Clinicians require such data to speed these cell treatments to patients.

15 Mar 2016

Researchers identify potential drug target in skin for itchy feeling

No matter the trigger -- bug bites, a medication side-effect or an itchy wound -- the urge to scratch can be a real pain. Researchers at the Duke University Medical Center have identified a potential drug target in the skin for that itchy feeling.

14 Mar 2016

Researchers exploring ways to prevent radiation-induced cancer risk in astronauts

NASA limits an astronaut's radiation exposures to doses that keep their added risk of fatal cancer below 3 percent. Unfortunately, that ceiling restricts the time an astronaut may spend in space, which in turn restricts the ability to perform longer missions, say a mission to Mars.

14 Mar 2016

Scientists sort out mechanism of Alzheimer's disease development

A group of the Lomonosov Moscow State University scientists, together with their colleagues from the Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences and the King's College London, succeeded in sorting out the mechanism of Alzheimer's disease development and possibly distinguished its key trigger.

11 Mar 2016

Secretory capacity of human gut does not decline with age, shows study

A breakthrough in basic research and the first comprehensive study on the secretory activity of the human intestine: over a period of eight years, Dr. Dagmar Krüger of the Department of Human Biology at TU Munich has examined more than 2200 specimens from around 450 patients with bowel disease.

10 Mar 2016

Rutgers' new drug candidate may help fight malaria

Malaria killed about 440,000 people - mostly young children - last year, but a new drug candidate discovered at Rutgers may help fight the long-dreaded disease.

8 Mar 2016

NIH scientists show how neurons in the eye may use math to differentiate moving objects

Our eyes constantly send bits of information about the world around us to our brains where the information is assembled into objects we recognize. Along the way, a series of neurons in the eye uses electrical and chemical signals to relay the information. In a study of mice, National Institutes of Health scientists showed how one type of neuron may do this to distinguish moving objects.

8 Mar 2016

Scientists hoping to use biomimetic gel to mechanically reinforce worn-out cartilage

Aching knees and stiff fingers: osteoarthritis is a widespread joint disease with few treatment options. However, there may finally be some hope: American scientists are hoping to mechanically reinforce worn-out cartilage by incorporating a biomimetic gel

7 Mar 2016

Inhibition of mitochondrial calcium uptake specifically toxic to cancer cells

Inhibiting the transfer of calcium ions into the cell's powerhouse is specifically toxic to cancer cells, according to an article published this week in Cell Reports by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

4 Mar 2016

High-salt diet may contribute to liver damage

A sprinkle of salt can bring out the flavor of just about any dish. However, it's well known that too much can lead to high blood pressure, a potentially dangerous condition if left untreated.

24 Feb 2016